Containers made from flexible resin have been widely used as beverage containers. With this type of beverage container, an upper portion of the container is cut to form a pouring spout. When a straw is inserted in the pouring spout, the beverage within the container can be sipped through the straw. However, with such a configuration, the beverage container is not very convenient because the user must go to the trouble of inserting the straw and also because the straw must be provided in addition to the container.
There has been proposed a straw-enclosed type beverage container 1200 as shown in FIG. 22. The beverage container 1200 has a quadrangular main body portion 1202 that is heat sealed along four sides to hold a beverage. The main body portion 1202 is configured from a front surface portion 1205, a rear surface portion 1206, and a base gusset portion 1203. The rear surface portion 1206 has the same shape as the front surface portion 1205. The base gusset portion 1203 configures the base that connects the front surface portion 1205 and the rear surface portion 1206. The base gusset portion 1203 is formed with an inward fold along a fold portion 1203a. The fold has a V-shape when viewed in cross-section. The base gusset portion 1203 is fused to the front surface portion 1205 and the rear surface portion 1206 by a heat seal. A slender-opening neck portion 1209 is formed at one end of the upper-most portion of the main body portion 1202. The neck portion 1209 is formed by changing the width of the heat seal and forms a pouring spout when cut. A straw for sipping the beverage is disposed in the main body portion 1202.
The beverage container 1200 has a flat shape overall. Therefore, the surface area of the front surface portion 1205 and the rear surface side 1206 must be increased to increase the amount of beverage that can fill the container. When a consumer opens this type of beverage container 1200 at the neck portion 1209, normally the consumer grasps the heat-sealed portion near the neck portion with fingers of both hands and tears across the neck portion 1209 in one of the directions indicated by arrows A. For example, by pulling his or her right hand to this side of the sheet of FIG. 22, and his or her left hand to the far side of the sheet of FIG. 22, the container will twist and tear in one of the arrow directions A. However, it is difficult to tear using this opening method. A bit of chance is involved in whether the tear will fall reliably across the neck portion. That is, if the paths that the opening follows in the front surface portion 1205 side and in the rear surface portion 1206 side are greatly shifted from each other, the tearing locus cannot be sufficiently across the neck portion. If, rather than going across the neck portion, the opening paths shift to upward in the drawing, then the container will open insufficiently. If the opening paths shift downward, then the beverage will leak out undesirably.
There is also the disadvantage in that if the upper portion of the straw 1213 is located in the neck portion 1209 while the container is being opened, then when the neck portion is torn in the above-described manner the tearing operation will be stopped because the tear track will hit the upper portion of the straw.
Further, if the tip of the straw catches on the inner wall of the rear surface portion or the front surface portion, so that the straw sinks into the beverage, then the straw, which is inside the beverage container, must be drawn out to protrude from the opening after the neck portion is torn open. If the user's fingertips are dirty, then dirty fingertips will contact the opening, which is undesirable from a sanitation point of view.
The beverage can be sipped through the straw as long as the neck portion is completely torn, without completely separating the unneeded heat sealed portion of the torn upper portion from the container. However, the unneeded heat sealed portion of the torn upper portion can brush up against the consumer's face and the like while he or she is sipping the beverage and produce an unpleasant sensation.
The neck portion 1209 can be opened at a desired position using scissors and the like. However, when the beverage container 1200 is to be carried outside and opened there, the consumer must take along a pair of scissors, which is troublesome. Further, when opening the neck portion 1209 using a pair of scissors and the like, then the consumer must cut the upper surface portion 1205 and the rear surface portion 1206 of the neck portion 1209 while avoiding cutting the straw if the upper portion of the straw 1213 is positioned within the neck portion 1209. In some cases, the consumer can accidentally cut the entire upper portion of the straw 1213 in the neck portion 1209 with the scissors.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage container with a straw disposed inside, wherein the beverage container can be opened at the opening position using the tearing force of finger tips, without using a tool such as a pair of scissors, and wherein the upper portion of the straw will not obstruct the opening process.